dental practice business plan sample

Dental Business Plans

Craft a successful dental practice with a well-structured Dental Business Plan. Navigate growth, secure funding, and make informed decisions.

By Joshua Napilay on Jul 15, 2024.

Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.

What is a Dental Business Plan?

A is a roadmap that outlines a dental practice's goals, strategies, and financial projections. It helps practitioners and stakeholders understand the business's direction and potential outcomes.

Typically created by dentists, entrepreneurs, or dental professionals looking to start their practices or expand existing ones, a well-structured and solid business plan covers a range of essential aspects:

• Executive summary:  A concise plan overview highlighting key points such as the practice's mission, target market, competitive advantage, and financial projections.
• Practice description : Detailed information about the dental services offered, the dental team's qualifications, and the unique value proposition that sets the practice apart from competitors.
• Market analysis:  An assessment of the local dental market, including demographics, competition analysis, and market trends, to identify opportunities and challenges.
• Sales and marketing strategy:  Plans for attracting and retaining patients, outlining approaches for online and offline marketing, patient engagement, and referral programs.
• Operational plan:  Details about the practice's day-to-day operations, including staffing, office layout, equipment, technology integration, and appointment scheduling.
• Financial projections : Forecasts of revenue, expenses, and profitability over a defined period, along with assessing startup costs and potential financing sources.
• Legal and regulatory considerations:  Ensuring compliance with dental regulations, licensing, insurance, and other legal obligations.
• Risk assessment:  Identify potential risks and strategies to mitigate them, ensuring a proactive approach to possible challenges.
• Exit strategy:  Plans for the future, whether growing the practice, selling it, or passing it on to another practitioner.

Creating a dental practice business plan requires careful research, analysis, and strategic thinking. It provides clarity to stakeholders and potential investors about the practice's viability and long-term prospects. By following a well-crafted business structure, dental practitioners can optimize their chances of success in the competitive dental industry.

Dental Business Plans Template

Dental business plans example.

How does it work?

Step 1. download the form.

Access the Printable Dental Business Plan form from a reputable source or website.

Step 2. Gather information

Collect all necessary information and data to complete the form, including practice details, market analysis, financial projections, and operational strategies.

Step 3. Read instructions

Carefully read the form's accompanying instructions or guidelines to understand its structure and requirements.

Step 4. Practice description

Provide a clear and concise overview of your dental practice, including its mission, services, and unique value proposition.

Step 5. Market analysis

Analyze the local dental market, including demographics, competition, and trends, to identify your practice's target audience and opportunities.

Step 6. Marketing and sales strategies

Describe your plans for attracting and retaining patients through marketing, advertising, patient engagement, and referral programs.

Step 7. Operational plan

Outline your practice's day-to-day operations, staffing structure, office layout, technology integration, and appointment scheduling process.

Step 8. Financial projections

Project your practice's expected revenue, expenses, and profitability over a specified period, including startup costs and potential funding sources.

Step 9. Legal and regulatory considerations

Address any legal and regulatory obligations relevant to your dental practice, such as licensing, insurance, and compliance with dental regulations.

Step 10. Risk assessment

Identify potential risks your practice might face and detail strategies to mitigate them effectively.

Step 11. Exit strategy

Outline your plans for the practice's future, whether it involves growth, selling, or transitioning to another practitioner.

Step 12. Proofread and review

Thoroughly review the completed form to ensure the provided information's accuracy, coherence, and completeness.

Step 13. Seek professional advice

If needed, consult with legal, financial, or business experts to validate the accuracy and effectiveness of your dental business plan.

Step 14. Print and store

Print a physical copy of the completed dental business plan for your records and safekeeping.

A dental business plan is vital for managing your practice, attracting investors, and achieving your goals in a competitive industry.

When would you use this form?

A Dental Business Plan is a pivotal resource for dental practitioners and entrepreneurs alike, serving as a roadmap to navigate the intricate landscape of the dental industry. Here's when this resource becomes indispensable:

• Starting a new practice: A Dental Business Plan is essential for dentists launching their practices. It outlines the vision, objectives, and strategies for a successful launch, helping practitioners anticipate challenges and set a clear trajectory.
• Expanding an existing practice : Established dental practices seeking growth benefit immensely from a Dental Business Plan. It guides expansion efforts by assessing new opportunities, understanding market dynamics, and refining operational and marketing strategies.
• Securing financing: When seeking financial support from investors, lenders, or banks, a well-structured Dental Business Plan is crucial. It instills confidence in potential backers by thoroughly analyzing the practice's potential, financial projections, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Strategic decision-making : Even for ongoing practices, a Dental Business Plan is valuable. It aids in making informed decisions about introducing new services, adopting advanced technologies, or revamping marketing efforts.
• Professional collaboration: When collaborating with other dental or medical professionals, such as specialists or associates, a Dental Business Plan aligns expectations and provides a joint roadmap for shared goals.
• Succession planning : Practitioners considering retirement or transitioning their practice need a Dental Business Plan. It outlines the strategy for passing on the practice while safeguarding its legacy.
• Navigating challenges : During challenging times like economic downturns or shifts in the healthcare landscape, a Dental Business Plan helps practitioners recalibrate strategies to remain resilient.
• Legal compliance: Dental Business Plans ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, licensing, and ethical standards, safeguarding the practice from legal complications.
• Benchmarking progress : Regularly revisiting the Dental Business Plan enables practitioners to measure their progress against initial goals, fostering continuous improvement.

Enhanced clarity and direction

Creating a Dental Business Plan provides practitioners with a clear roadmap for their practice's growth and success, outlining strategic goals and actionable steps.

Informed decision-making

The comprehensive analysis in crafting a Dental Business Plan ensures that decisions are well-informed, minimizing risks and increasing the likelihood of favorable outcomes.

Investor confidence

When seeking investment or financing, a robust Dental Business Plan showcases the practice's potential, reassuring investors and lenders about the venture's viability.

Goal alignment

A Dental Business Plan aligns the entire dental team toward shared objectives, fostering a unified approach and promoting efficient teamwork.

Risk mitigation

A Dental Business Plan enhances the practice's preparedness to navigate uncertainties by identifying potential challenges and outlining strategies to overcome them.

Long-term viability

Implementing a Dental Business Plan lays the groundwork for sustainable growth, setting the stage for long-term success and profitability.

A Dental Business Plan is a pivotal resource that assists in planning and launching a dental practice and supports ongoing operations, expansion efforts, and strategic decision-making. Its structured approach empowers practitioners to proactively address challenges, leverage opportunities, and confidently steer their dental ventures toward success.

Moreover, having access to free Dental Business Plans offers an economical way for practitioners to benefit from these advantages while efficiently planning for their practice's prosperous future.

Research & evidence

The use of Dental Business Plans as a resource has evolved alongside the growth of the dental industry and the broader field of business management. Over time, dental practitioners and entrepreneurs recognized the need for a structured approach to strategically plan, manage, and grow existing dental practices. The history of Dental Business Plans can be traced back to the increasing complexity of the dental profession, the rising competition within the healthcare sector, and the demand for efficient practice management.

Research and evidence supporting Dental Business Plans primarily stem from business management, entrepreneurship, and healthcare administration. Studies have consistently shown that businesses with well-defined plans are more likely to succeed and achieve their goals. Translating this principle into the dental field, practitioners began to understand that a comprehensive business plan provides a structured framework to articulate their practice's mission, objectives, market analysis, financial projections, and operational strategies.

Moreover, case studies and success stories of dental practices that utilized well-structured business plans further bolstered the evidence for their effectiveness. These stories often highlight how practitioners could secure financing, attract patients, streamline operations, and adapt to changing market conditions due to their proactive planning and strategic approach.

In recent years, technological advancements have facilitated the creation and dissemination of Dental Business Plans. Online templates, software, and resources have made it easier for practitioners to quickly access guides, samples, and tools to build customized plans efficiently.

Babkins, J. (2022, August 16). Dentistry Business Plan sample. OGScapital. https://www.ogscapital.com/article/dental-office-business-plan-sample/

Dental Office Business Plan - BPlans. (n.d.). Bplans: Free Business Planning Resources and Templates. https://www.bplans.com/dental-office-business-plan/

Dentist Business Plan Template | Business-in-a-BoxTM. (n.d.). https://www.business-in-a-box.com/template/dentist-business-plan-D11957/

FREE 3+ Dental Clinic Business Plan Samples in PDF | MS Word | Apple Pages | Google Docs. (n.d.). sampletemplates.com. https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/plan-templates/dental-clinic-business-plan.html

Lavinsky, D. (2023a). Dental Business Plan Template. Growthink. https://www.growthink.com/businessplan/help-center/dental-business-plan

Lavinsky, D. (2023b). Dental Business Plan Template. PlanBuildr Business Plan Software. https://planbuildr.com/dental-business-plan-template/

Lavinsky, D. (2023c). Dental Business Plan Template [Updated 2023]. BusinessPlanTemplate.com. https://www.businessplantemplate.com/dental-business-plan-template/

Upmetrics. (2023, August 11). Dental Business Plan Template (2023). https://upmetrics.co/template/dental-business-plan

Commonly asked questions

Dental Business Plans help dental professionals start, manage, expand, or optimize their practices.

A solid business plan can help with starting or expanding a dental practice, seeking financing, making strategic decisions, and transitioning the practice plans for succession planning.

Dental business plans set clear goals, analyze the market, plan marketing strategies, detail operations, project finances, mitigate risks, secure financing, and monitor progress. They serve as essential roadmaps for dental practitioners, guiding them through practice management, growth, and decision-making.

Related Templates

Popular Templates

Join 10,000+ teams using Carepatron to be more productive

Dental Practice Business Plan Template & PDF Example

• July 22, 2024
• Business Plan

Creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial for launching and running a successful dental practice. This plan serves as your roadmap, detailing your vision, operational strategies, and financial plan. It helps establish your dental practice’s identity, navigate the competitive market, and secure funding for growth.

This article not only breaks down the critical components of a dental practice business plan, but also provides an example of a business plan to help you craft your own.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or new to the healthcare industry, this guide, complete with a business plan example, lays the groundwork for turning your dental practice concept into reality. Let’s dive in!

Our dental practice business plan is designed to be clear and comprehensive, covering all the essential aspects necessary for a detailed strategic outline. This plan elaborates on the practice’s operations, strategic direction, market positioning, competitive analysis , management structure, and financial projections, among other key components.

Here are the primary sections of our Dental Practice Business Plan:

• Executive Summary : A concise overview of your dental practice, showcasing the business concept, market positioning, leadership team, and a snapshot of financial plans.
• Practice & Location : Details about the practice’s environment, equipment, and special features.
• Treatments : Information on the range of dental services provided, including general dentistry, cosmetic procedures, and pricing models.
• Key Stats : Industry size , growth rates, and critical statistics relevant to the dental sector.
• Key Trends : Current trends influencing the dental industry, such as advances in dental technology or shifts in patient care standards.
• Key Competitors : Assessment of main competitors and how your practice stands out from them.
• SWOT : A detailed analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Marketing Plan : Describes promotional tactics to attract new patients and retain existing ones, including digital marketing and community engagement.
• Timeline : Critical milestones and objectives from the opening phase to expansion, covering at least the first year.
• Management : Introduces the dental practice’s management team, emphasizing their roles, expertise, and how they drive the practice towards its goals.
• Financial Plan : Projects the practice’s financial performance over 5 years, detailing expected revenue, expenses, and outlines the funding strategy.

{{product_image|large}}

Dental Practice Business Plan

Fully editable 30+ slides Powerpoint presentation business plan template.

Download an expert-built 30+ slides Powerpoint business plan template

{{product_image|medium}}

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary introduces your dental practice’s business plan, offering a concise overview of your clinic and its services. It should detail your market positioning, the range of dental care and treatments you provide, its location, size, and an outline of day-to-day operations. 

This section should also explore how your dental practice will integrate into the local healthcare market, including the number of direct competitors within the area, identifying who they are, along with your practice’s unique selling points that differentiate it from these competitors. 

Furthermore, you should include information about the management and co-founding team, detailing their roles and contributions to the practice’s success. Additionally, a summary of your financial projections, including revenue and profits over the next five years, should be presented here to provide a clear picture of your dental practice’s financial plan.

Dental Practice Business Plan Executive Summary Example

Business Overview

In the  business overview , you should clearly define your dental practice’s characteristics, including the name, location, facility details, and range of dental services offered. Highlighting the unique aspects of your practice is crucial to set it apart in the dental market.

Example: “SmileBright Dental,” located in Downtown Metropolis near schools and shopping areas, offers a modern, 4,000 sq. ft. facility with advanced dental equipment. The practice provides a comprehensive range of services, from preventive care and restorative dentistry to cosmetic procedures and orthodontics, catering to a diverse patient base.

Market Overview

This section should analyze the dental  market size , growth trends, consumer behavior, and the  competitive landscape . It helps position your practice within the industry and showcases how it meets the current demands in dental care.

Example: SmileBright Dental enters a U.S. dental market worth $145 billion, growing at 6% annually. Despite competition from other local practices, SmileBright stands out with its focus on preventive care, adoption of tele-dentistry, and cosmetic services, aligning with current consumer trends and spending behaviors.

Management Team

Detailing the management team’s experience and roles is essential. This part of the summary should emphasize their expertise in dentistry and healthcare management, underscoring their ability to drive the practice’s success.

Example: Dr. Jane Doe, Chief Dental Officer and co-founder of SmileBright, brings years of experience in pediatric dentistry, while Dr. John Smith, co-founder and COO, has extensive experience in healthcare management. Their combined expertise ensures high-quality patient care and efficient practice operations.

Financial Plan

A clear presentation of financial goals and projections is key. This section should include targets for revenue, providing insight into the practice’s financial health and growth prospects.

Example: SmileBright Dental aims for $2.6 million in annual revenue by 2028. With a strategic focus on expanding service offerings and enhancing patient experience, the practice is poised for growth in a thriving dental market.

For a Dental Practice, the Business Overview section can be effectively divided into 2 main slides:

Practice & Location

Briefly describe the dental practice’s physical environment, focusing on its modern, clean, and inviting atmosphere that reassures and comforts patients. Mention the practice’s location, highlighting its accessibility and the convenience it offers to patients, such as proximity to residential areas, schools, or ease of parking. Explain why this location is strategically chosen to attract your target patient base.

Detail the range of dental treatments and services offered, from routine check-ups and cleanings to specialized procedures like orthodontics, implants, or cosmetic dentistry. Outline your pricing strategy , ensuring it reflects the quality of care provided and aligns with the market you’re targeting. Highlight any special offers, insurance partnerships, or membership plans that provide added value to your patients, encouraging long-term relationships and patient loyalty.

Industry size & growth

In the Market Overview of your dental practice business plan, start by examining the size of the dental care industry and its growth potential. This analysis is crucial for understanding the market’s scope and identifying expansion opportunities.

Key market trends

Proceed to discuss recent market trends , such as the increasing consumer interest in advanced dental technologies, preventive care, and cosmetic dental services.

For example, highlight the demand for services that cater to specific dental health needs, alongside the rising popularity of aesthetic dental treatments like veneers and teeth whitening. Also, consider the impact of digital dentistry advancements, such as 3D imaging and CAD/CAM systems, on patient experience and treatment outcomes.

Competitive Landscape

A  competitive analysis  is not just a tool for gauging the position of your dental practice in the market and its key competitors; it’s also a fundamental component of your business plan.

This analysis helps in identifying your dental practice’s unique selling points, essential for differentiating your business in a  competitive  market.

In addition, competitive analysis is integral in laying a solid foundation for your business plan. By examining various operational aspects of your competitors, you gain valuable information that ensures your business plan is robust, informed, and tailored to succeed in the current market environment.

Identifying Your Dental Care Competitors

Initiating a competitive analysis in the dental care sector begins with identifying key competitors in your locality. Map out dental practices within your vicinity, considering not only other dental clinics but also specialized services like orthodontics or cosmetic dentistry. Additionally, take into account corporate dental chains or multi-specialty clinics that may operate in your area, as they could pose competition.

Online platforms such as Google Maps, Yelp, or Healthgrades offer valuable insights. Reviews and ratings on these platforms provide a glimpse into the  strengths and weaknesses  of your competitors. For instance, positive reviews highlighting the efficient service and friendly staff at “SmileCare Dental” indicate a notable strength of your competitor in providing a positive patient experience.

Dental Practice Competitors’ Strategies

Analyzing the strategies of your dental care competitors encompasses various facets:

• Services Offered:  Evaluate the spectrum of services provided by competitors. If a nearby clinic like “Bright Smiles Orthodontics” is gaining popularity for its innovative orthodontic treatments, it signals a market trend toward specialized orthodontic care.
• Technology and Equipment:  Consider the technological advancements and equipment utilized. A clinic that focuses on state-of-the-art equipment for procedures may attract a different clientele compared to a practice that emphasizes traditional techniques.
• Pricing Models:  Compare pricing structures. Are your service fees similar to those at “Affordable Dental Solutions” or do you align more with premium services like those offered at “Elite Dental Care”?
• Marketing Strategies :  Evaluate marketing approaches. Do competitors rely on digital marketing, social media campaigns, or community engagement events to promote their services?
• Patient Experience:  Assess the patient experience at rival clinics. A clinic like “Comfort Dental Haven” might stand out for its calming ambiance and personalized patient care.
• Operational Efficiency:  Observe if competitors leverage technology for appointment scheduling, digital records, or teleconsultation, such as “Tech-Savvy Smiles” with its advanced online appointment system.

What’s Your Dental Clinic’s Unique Value Proposition?

Identifying your dental clinic’s  unique value proposition  is pivotal. Perhaps your clinic specializes in pediatric dentistry or offers cutting-edge cosmetic dental procedures that are in demand.

Pay attention to market gaps by gathering patient feedback and staying updated on industry trends. For example, an increasing emphasis on holistic dental care could represent an untapped market opportunity if competitors still need to address this demand.

Tailor your services to your location. A clinic in a family-centric suburb might focus on family dental care and a child-friendly environment, while a practice in a corporate hub might highlight convenient scheduling and fast service for busy professionals.

First, conduct a SWOT analysis for the dental practice, highlighting Strengths such as highly qualified dental professionals and comprehensive dental care services, Weaknesses like high operational costs and the complexities of insurance billing, Opportunities in the form of increasing awareness about oral health and potential for community outreach programs, and Threats from intense competition and potential economic downturns that may affect patients’ spending on dental services.

Marketing Plan

Next, develop a marketing strategy for the dental practice that details how to attract and retain patients. This strategy should include targeted advertising to reach potential patients actively searching for dental services, promotional discounts for first-time visitors or referrals, an engaging social media presence that highlights patient testimonials and educational content, and involvement in community events to build brand awareness and trust within the local area.

Marketing Channels

Utilize diverse marketing channels to engage with potential patients and increase brand visibility.

Digital Marketing

Leverage digital platforms effectively:

• Website and SEO : Your practice’s website serves as a digital storefront. Develop a user-friendly website that not only showcases your services but also educates visitors about oral health. Integrate patient testimonials and case studies to build credibility. Optimize the site for local SEO by including location-specific keywords, enabling potential patients to find you easily.
• Social Media:  Social media platforms offer a space for interaction and community building. Regularly share valuable content—educational posts, engaging videos, patient success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses—to humanize your practice. 
• Email Marketing:  Building an email list allows you to nurture relationships with both existing and potential patients. Develop segmented email campaigns that offer value—whether it’s oral care tips, exclusive promotions, or updates about new services. 

Local Promotion and Community Engagement

Actively participate in the local community:

• Local Events:  Host or sponsor community health fairs, school dental check-ups, or seminars. Provide free dental check-ups or educational sessions at local community centers.
• Partnerships : Collaborate with local schools, health clinics, or businesses for joint health awareness campaigns or referral programs.

Promotional Activities

Entice potential patients with attractive offers:

• Special Promotions : Design promotional offers or seasonal packages that entice first-time visitors. Consider offering discounts on specific treatments or bundled services, encouraging new patients to experience the quality of care your practice provides.
• Loyalty Programs:  Rewarding patient loyalty encourages repeat visits. Implement a structured loyalty program where patients earn points for each visit or referral, which they can redeem for discounts or complimentary services. This not only incentivizes loyalty but also enhances patient retention.
• Referral Bonuses:  Encourage existing patients to become advocates for your practice by offering referral incentives. Provide discounts, free treatments, or other incentives for every successful referral they make, amplifying your reach through word-of-mouth.

Sales Channels

Deploy effective sales strategies to ensure a seamless patient experience and satisfaction.

In-Practice Upselling

Maximize opportunities during patient visits:

• Service Upgrades:  During appointments, suggest additional treatments like teeth whitening or cosmetic dental procedures based on patient preferences and needs.
• Retail Products:  Display dental care products or oral hygiene items prominently within the practice and educate patients about their benefits.
• Treatment Packages:  Offer comprehensive dental care packages that bundle multiple treatments or family packages at discounted rates.

Online Booking and Sales

Leverage technology for efficient service delivery:

• Online Booking:  Implement an easy-to-use online appointment booking system through your website or mobile app, offering convenience to patients.
• E-commerce:  Sell dental products, oral care kits, or dental health supplements directly through your website, expanding patient access and revenue opportunities.
• Virtual Consultations:  Offer online video consultations for initial assessments or post-treatment follow-ups, providing personalized care recommendations.

Membership and Loyalty Programs

Encourage patient loyalty and repeat visits:

• Membership Benefits:  Develop structured membership plans that offer regular check-ups, preventive care, or discounted treatments for a fixed monthly or annual fee. These plans ensure consistent patient engagement while providing them with cost-effective access to essential dental care.
• Loyalty Rewards:  Implementing a digital rewards system enables patients to earn points for each visit or referral. These accumulated points can be redeemed for free services, discounts, or exclusive offers, fostering a sense of appreciation and strengthening patient loyalty.

Strategy Timeline

Finally, create a detailed timeline for the dental practice that outlines key milestones such as the official opening date, the roll-out of marketing campaigns, the expected growth of the patient base, and plans for expanding services or facilities. This timeline should provide a clear framework for the practice’s development, ensuring every step is taken with purpose and direction towards achieving long-term success.

The Management section focuses on the dental practice’s management and their direct roles in daily operations and strategic direction. This part is crucial for understanding who is responsible for making key decisions and driving the practice towards its financial and operational goals.

For your dental practice business plan, list the core team members, their specific responsibilities, and how their expertise supports the business.

The Financial Plan section is a comprehensive analysis of your financial projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability. It lays out your dental practice’s approach to securing funding, managing cash flow, and achieving breakeven.

This section typically includes detailed forecasts for the first 5 years of operation, highlighting expected revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures.

For your dental practice business plan, provide a snapshot of your financial statement (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement), as well as your key assumptions (e.g. number of customers and prices, expenses, etc.).

Make sure to cover here _ Profit and Loss _ Cash Flow Statement _ Balance Sheet _ Use of Funds

Related Posts

Pro One Janitorial Franchise Costs $9K – $76K (2024 Fees & Profits)

• July 5, 2024

Dance Studio Business Plan PDF Example

• June 17, 2024

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Business Plan PDF Example

Privacy overview.

• Read Time: 7 mins
• May 5, 2021

How to write a business plan for your dental practice

• Read Time: 7 min

The Floss / For Dentists / How to write a business plan for your dental practice

A business plan. Your practice simply has to have one. It’s going to lay out all the detailed information that helps you set your practice on the road to success. It’ll include market analysis, a marketing plan, competitive analysis, cash flow projections, and more. 

In essence, a business plan allows you to track, monitor, and evaluate the progress of your practice over a period of time. It allows you to gauge how your practice is progressing against your original projections for your business. This, in turn, will make it easier to make an objective evaluation of your practice’s progress. 

And it functions as an essential marketing document. It helps show stakeholders in your business that your practice is sustainable and worth investing in, whether that investment is monetary or time-based. 

Your business plan should be a living document. As you gain experience and achieve goals, the plan should be modified to reflect changing goals and knowledge you have gained during the time the practice has been in operation. 

Grow your dental practice

Opencare is the only risk-free patient acquisition solution for dentists.

Business plans provide you with a detailed guideline on what steps you need to follow in order to ensure your practice is a success and that it achieves both your short-term and long-term goals. They are an invaluable strategic tool that every dental plan should carefully consider and craft before opening their business. 

Each individual business plan will be unique to you and your business. However, here are some guidelines you can follow to make the process of creating your business plan easier. Some basic elements any business plan should incorporate include:

Executive summary

The executive summary is perhaps one of the most essential parts of the plan. It’s a short section at the start of the plan that summarizes the plan as a whole. Typically, this section is one to two pages in length.

Some elements that should be summarized as part of the executive summary are:

• Legal structure : Key to establishing your practice, determine what type of business it will be. If you’re setting up a partnership, this section should also include percentage ownership of each partner. Other elements that you should mention include resources like attorneys and accountants who will be part of your support team.
• Services provided : Explain which dental services you will be providing in your practice. This section will also clarify what your practice’s unique value proposition will be — what sets it apart from those of your competitors and other  dentists near you .
• Goals : List the overall goals of your practice by priority. You should start with the mission statement and then list out the specific goals.
• Market analysis : An analysis of the dental landscape in your area and your practice’s ability to meet your identified needs.
• Marketing strategy : A quick summary of which strategies you will be employing. This section should be a response to the market analysis, and you should go into more detail in the marketing plan part of the business plan.
• Break-even point : This will also be part of the financial plan and analyses how viable your practice is at the current time.
• Operations plan summary : Summarize what systems you have in place in order to increase the growth of your practice. You will need to go into more detail in the operations plan section.
• Organizational / staffing structure : A summary of how many staff you have, their responsibilities and roles, and a forecast of personnel needs.

This section is key when you approach lenders for loans. It should be enticing to potential lenders and explain how you plan to make your practice a success. Therefore, it should be persuasive and compelling.

While this section goes at the start of your plan, you should write it last. This is because it is a summary of the rest of the plan, and you will need to have a detailed plan completed before you can write it.

Collect 99% of your claims

We settle your claims, so you don’t settle for less.

Description of products and services

In this section, you should elaborate on the types of services your practice will provide patients. Explain whether specialty services will be performed in-house or will be referred to outside practices and doctors.

If you’re acquiring an existing practice as opposed to opening a new one, clarify any changes you’ll be implementing to the products and services the practice is already offering. 

Operations plan 

This is where you detail the operational systems that will help you run your practice, meet your goals, and measure how effective you are at achieving your aims.

It will describe how you will procure the products needed to keep the business running, what personnel will be part of your business, and how you will manage your inventory. You’ll also detail factors like hours of operation, any licenses and permits you’ll require before opening, dental insurances that your practice will and will not accept, schedule for equipment maintenance, and so on.

One of the most important parts of your operations plan is detailing a one-year action plan. This will serve as a template for you to follow and help you detail what steps you need to take to ensure your plan is a success.

This section is the ‘nuts-and-bolts’ part of your plan and is likely to be the longest section of your business plan. Managing operations efficiently helps increase profitability and decrease stress. Without an efficient operations plan, you will find meeting objectives and goals a challenging task. 

Market analysis and marketing plan

This is where you’ll document data on how your competitors operate. Some parts of your competitors’ practices you may want to look at include their online presence, SEO rankings, how they manage their digital content, and any other marketing efforts you think is relevant.

Once you have conducted a market analysis of your competitors, you’ll also need to document your own marketing plan. Elements you should include as part of your plan include an overview of your intended market and the type of patients you plan to target, their income level, age, and lifestyle.

Sign up for our newsletter.

Just let us know a bit about yourself..

You should also clearly set out how you plan to set your business apart from competitors and maintain your own customer base. For example, if you operate in close proximity to another dental practice, how will you ensure patients looking to  find a dentist  visit your practice over that of your competitor?

Make sure to conduct a SWOT analysis. This is an analysis of your practice’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the market opportunities you can take advantage of and the threats that your practice faces. This will help you better personalize your marketing plan to your goals while also considering outside factors that could hinder those goals and detailing how you will overcome those issues. 

Your marketing strategy should focus on developing awareness of your practice amongst prospective patients. This will include the use of internal marketing (brochures, posters, newsletters, etc.), external marketing (direct mail, email, advertising, online marketing through websites and social media, etc.), and customer service to ensure your patients have a good experience and keep on returning to your practice.

One key element of the marketing plan for modern dental practices is to map out their website design. Having a well-designed website can help you stand out from competitors and can be hugely beneficial in attracting patients. For example, suppose patients are able to make a  dentist appointment  online quickly. In that case, they are more likely to choose your practice over a competitor that makes it difficult to schedule an appointment. 

If your marketing strategy is going to be significantly different from that of your competitors, you should also explain the rationale behind your choice as part of your strategy.

Financial plan

A financial plan is a key component of the marketing plan and will be the section that’s of most interest to potential lenders. If you’re approaching banks or other individuals for a loan, this section will help them make an informed decision over whether or not to lend to you. Due to its importance, this section should be carefully planned out and meticulously written.

For new practices, the financial plan will be based on 12 and 24-month financial projections, as you won’t already have an existing performance to base it off. Some key elements that you should include in your financial plan include:

• Income projections over a 12 and 24-month period
• Your personal financial statement 
• Collateral you’ll offer in exchange for a loan
• The total amount of funds that will be required by your practice for a 24-month period
• A plan for how the funds will be allocated
• Cash flow forecast
• Historical financial analysis looking into the viability of a dental practice
• Supporting documents that may be required by the lender, including a copy of your credit report, historical financial statements, five-year financial projections, and any other relevant document

Your financial plan should lay out a plan that accounts for the impact of outside financial influences that will affect your finances. These influences include competition, the economy, seasonal variations, and business cycles, as well as any other factors that will impact your practice’s financials. 

Business plan checklist

If you’re just getting started on creating your business plan, there are a variety of templates and checklists that are easily available online. One free downloadable and printable checklist that you can use is  this one .

Before you get started on making your business plan, the American Dental Association (ADA) you make sure to ask yourself some important questions, including: 

• Can you describe your potential dental practice in detail?
• Do you have an actionable marketing plan?
• Who is in the market? What are they doing right — or wrong?
• What pricing and payment policies are you considering?
• What’s your growth strategy?

These will help provide you with a guideline you can refer back to when writing your detailed plan.

The ADA also provides a business plan checklist that is tailored to dental practices. You can download the checklist  here .

FAQs about dental practice business plans

Worry-free insurance verification.

Opencare takes the guesswork and effort out of insurance verification.

How much does it cost to open a dental office?

While start-up costs will differ based on where your practice is located and the types of services you plan on offering, the estimated cost of starting a dental practice  can be  upwards of $450,000, with up to a third of that being equipment costs.

How profitable is a dental practice?

On average, dental practices can have  about a  25% profit margin. This profit margin can be more, depending on your specialty, location, and overhead costs. It is also possible to increase the profit margin of a dental practice in a variety of ways. For new practices, it your business plan allow you a profit margin of at least 40%.

How much does a dental office make a year?

The amount you earn is dependent on the type of services your practice offers, including whether or not you offer specialty services.  On average , general practices earn around $770,000 a year, while specialty practices can make around $1.1 million annually. 

How do I write a business plan for a mobile dental clinic?

If you’re planning a mobile dental clinic, the process for writing a business plan is similar to that of writing a plan for a traditional practice. The steps you need to follow will be the same, and any lenders will expect you to present the same information as part of your business plan.

Remember, the executive summary and the financial plan are two key aspects of your business plan when approaching lenders. A well thought-out and well-written business plan does not only make your practice more appealing to lenders but it also provides you with a blueprint to follow in order to achieve personal and business-related goals. So when you’re writing out your business plan, regardless of whether it is for a traditional practice or a mobile clinic, make sure to include all the relevant details.

Join the community

Join north america’s largest community of dental practices and patients., most popular.

• Cosmetic Advice

For Dentists

• Oral Health How-Tos
• Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments
• Uncategorized
• Wellness Advice

How to make a dentist appointment in 3 easy steps

Learn how to make a dentist appointment today. ✓ First you’ll need to find a local dentist, then prepare your info and questions, and call or go to the dental website to book.

How much do fillings cost with and without insurance?

Wondering how much do fillings cost, with insurance or without it? No matter how old you are, the mere thought of a toothache (and  its

COVID-19 Guidance

Patient Acquisition

Super Practice

Revenue Cycle Management

Practice Login

Popular Searches

Dentists Near Me

Dentists in Seattle

Dentists in San Francisco

Dentists in San Jose

Dentists in Chicago

Dentists in Toronto

Dentists in Denver

Dentists in Austin

Dentists in San Diego

Dental Marketing

Dentistry Practice Management

Dentist Appointments

Tonsil Stones

Dentist Referrals

Level up your oral wellness.

© Opencare 2021

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

• Sample Business Plans
• Medical & Health Care

Dental Business Plan

Dentistry is one of the most rewarding and profitable entrepreneurial ventures for any dental professional.

You can easily start a dental business, but you need a detailed business plan when it comes to staying competitive in the market, raising funding, applying for loans, and scaling it like a pro!

Need help writing a business plan for your dental office? You’re at the right place. Our dental business plan template will help you get started.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free dental business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
• Financial Tables

How to Write a Dental Business Plan?

Writing a dental business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

• Introduce your business: Start your executive summary section by briefly introducing your business to your readers.
• This section may include the name of your dental business, its location, when it was founded, the type of dental business (E.g., general dental practice, orthodontic practice, oral surgery practice.), etc.
• Market opportunity: Summarize your market research, including market size, growth potential, and marketing trends. Highlight the opportunities in the market and how your business will fit in to fill the gap.
• Dental services: Highlight the dental services you offer to your patients. Mention any dental specialties you have. For instance, a geriatric physical therapy specialist specializes in treating elderly patients and helps them to improve their mobility and prevent falls.
• Marketing & sales strategies: Outline your sales and marketing strategies—what marketing platforms you use and how you intend to attract new patients and retain existing ones.
• Financial highlights: Briefly summarize your financial projections for the initial years of business operations. Include any capital or investment requirements, associated startup costs, projected revenues, and profit forecasts.
• Call to action: Summarize your executive summary section with a clear CTA, for example, inviting angel investors to discuss the potential business investment.

Make sure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

Say goodbye to boring templates

Build your business plan faster and easier with AI

Plans starting from $7/month

2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

• Business description: Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:
• Business name and type: Describe what type of dental clinic you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following dental practices:
• Oral surgery practice
• Cosmetic dental practice
• General dental practice
• Mobile dental practice
• Pediatric dental practice
• Company structure: Describe the legal structure of your dental office, whether it is a sole proprietorship, partnership, or others.
• Location: Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.
• Ownership: List the names of the founders of your clinic. Describe what shares they own and their responsibilities for efficiently managing the business.
• Mission statement: Summarize your business’ objective, core principles, and values in your mission statement. This statement needs to be memorable, clear, and brief.
• Business history: If you’re an established dental business, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc. Additionally, If you have received any awards or recognition for excellent work, describe them.
• Future goals: It’s crucial to convey your aspirations and vision. Mention your short-term and long-term goals; they can be specific targets for revenue, market share, or about expanding your services.

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The Market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the dental care industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

• Target market: Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.
• For instance, general dental clinics may target individuals and families seeking routine dental check-ups.
• Market size and growth potential: Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.
• Competitive analysis: Identify and analyze your direct and indirect competitors. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, and describe what differentiates your dentistry services from them. Point out how you have a competitive edge in the market.
• Market trends: Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.
• For instance, there is an increasing demand for cosmetic dental services such as teeth whitening and dental implants; explain how you plan to address the growth opportunity.
• Regulatory environment: List regulations and licensing requirements that may affect your dental business, such as dental license, business insurance, facility requirements(fire safety, infection control standards), HIPPA compliance, etc.

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your dental clinic business plan:

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific dentistry services offered to patients. To write this section should include the following:

• Dental treatment & services: Mention the dentistry services your clinic will offer. This list may include services like,
• Teeth whitening
• Tooth extraction
• Cosmetic fillings
• Root canal therapy
• Oral surgery, and more.
• Describe each service: Provide a detailed description of each service you provide, including the process involved, any physical examination needed, the time required, etc.
• For instance, tooth extraction involves dental examination, anesthesia, tooth loosening, tooth removal, socket cleaning, post-extraction treatment, and follow-up appointments.
• Insurance & Payment Options: This section should include details about accepted payment methods and insurance plans. These options may include credit cards, cash, dental health insurance, third-party insurance, etc.
• In addition to these payment options, describe if your dentistry offers regular patients discounts or membership plans.
• Additional service: Mention if your dental office offers any additional services. You may include services like mobile dental services, sedation dentistry, etc.

In short, this section of your dental office business plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

The sales and marketing strategies section describes how you will attract new patients and retain existing ones. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

• Unique selling proposition (USP): Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide.
• For example, advanced technology, specialized services, and emergency dental care could be some of the great USPs for a general dental clinic.
• Pricing strategy: Describe your pricing strategy—how you plan to price your dental services and stay competitive in the local market. You can mention any discounts you plan on offering to attract new patients.
• Marketing strategies: Discuss your marketing strategies to market your dentistry services. You may include some of these marketing strategies in your business plan—social media marketing, Google ads, brochures, email marketing, content marketing, and print marketing.
• Sales strategies: Outline the strategies you’ll implement to maximize your sales. Your sales strategies may include partnering with other healthcare service providers(e.g., Orthodontists, oral surgeons.), offering referral programs, etc.
• Patient retention: Describe your patient retention strategies and how you plan to execute them. For instance, introducing patient loyalty programs, offering membership discounts, encouraging routine dental check-ups, etc.

Overall, this section of your dental office business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your dental business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

• Staffing & training: Describe your staffing requirements, including the number of dentists, dental assistants, nurses, and any other support staff you will need. Include their qualifications, years of experience, and the duties they will perform.
• Operational process: Outline the processes and procedures you will use to run your dental business. Your operational processes may include managing patient flow, scheduling appointments, patient registration, patient treatment, record-keeping, billing, and after-treatment check-ups.
• Safety & infection control: Describe the safety and infection control practices and protocols you plan to implement, keeping patients, staff, and visitors’ safety in mind.
• These protocols may include waste management, disinfection, sterilization, infection surveillance, etc.
• Equipment & Technologies: Include the list of equipment and technology that will be used in the dental practice, such as digital X-rays, intraoral cameras, laser dentistry, etc.
• In addition, provide details on the sourcing and maintenance of these instruments and equipment. Explain how these technologies benefit your patients and help you stand out as a dental service provider.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your dentistry effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your dental business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

• Founders/CEO: Mention the founders and CEO of your dental clinic, and describe their roles and responsibilities in successfully running the business.
• Key managers: Introduce your management and key team members, and explain their roles and responsibilities. Business plans for solo practitioners typically don’t include key managers.
• It should include, Dental director, department/division heads, committees, and other dentists involved in the operations, including their education, specialization, professional background, and years of experience in the dental care industry.
• Organizational structure: Explain the organizational structure of your management team. Include the reporting line and decision-making hierarchy.
• Compensation plan: Describe your compensation plan for the management and staff. Include their salaries, incentives, and other benefits.
• Advisors/consultants: Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea. So, if you have any advisors or consultants, include them with their names and brief information about roles and years of experience.

This section should describe the key personnel for your dental care services, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

• Profit & loss statement: Describe details such as projected revenue, operational costs, and service costs in your projected profit and loss statement. Make sure to include your business’s expected net profit or loss.
• Cash flow statement: This section should estimate and describe the cash flow for the first few years of your operation. This may include billing invoices, payment receipts, loan payments, and any other cash flow statements.
• Balance sheet: Create a projected balance sheet documenting your dental business’s assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Break-even point: Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.
• This exercise will help you understand how much revenue you need to generate to sustain or be profitable.
• Financing needs: Estimate your financing needs and how much capital you need to raise to operate your business. Be specific about your short-term and long-term financing requirements, such as investment capital or loans.

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be up-to-date and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the dental care industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your dental business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

This sample dental business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful dental clinic business plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our dental business plan pdf .

Related Posts

Medical Transport Business Plan

Medical Billing Business Plan

Business Plan Template Example

Why Write a Business Plan Outline

Simple Business Pricing Strategy Guide

Best AI tools for Startups

Frequently asked questions, why do you need a dental business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful dental business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your dental clinic.

How to get funding for your dental business?

There are several ways to get funding for your dental business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

Small Business Administration (SBA) loan

Crowdfunding, angel investors.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your dental business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your dental practice business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your dental business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any dental clinic business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

Plan your business in the shortest time possible

No Risk – Cancel at Any Time – 15 Day Money Back Guarantee

Create a great Business Plan with great price.

• 400+ Business plan templates & examples
• AI Assistance & step by step guidance
• 4.8 Star rating on Trustpilot

Streamline your business planning process with Upmetrics .

• Member Login

Dental Business Plans 101

Ready to create a business plan for your dental practice? The good news is that you can follow the same general guidelines as other small businesses.

Before you begin, ask yourself these key questions:

• Can you describe your potential dental practice in detail?
• Do you have an actionable marketing plan?
• Who is in the market? What are they doing right - or wrong?
• What pricing and payment policies are you considering?
• What’s your growth strategy?

Download Supporting Materials  (Free for ADA members) Components of a Business Plan

Existing dental practices may also need to update their business plans, especially if they want to expand.

An updated plan needs:

• Your dental practice’s financial position
• Your current debt, if any
• Updated lender information and terms
• A recent financial comparison with similar businesses
• An analysis of your current costs and your “break-even” point

Dental Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Dental Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Dental business plan.

We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their dental businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Dental practice business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Bright Family Dental is a startup dental clinic located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that will be owned and operated by Dr. Ingrid Williams. Dr. Williams has worked with a team of dentists at another local family local dentistry for the past 18 years and has become one of the most requested dentists in the area and has now decided to open a dental clinic of her own. Milwaukee is a large metropolitan area where there is a shortage of dental offices that can serve the growing population. Dr. Williams plans on recruiting a team of dental assistants and hygienists from the local college.

Bright Family Dental will provide a comprehensive array of dental services to all individuals that include cleanings, restoration, and cosmetic dental care. The dental clinic will be located in a mid to higher income area in town that is surrounded by other ancillary medical offices as well as retail stores and restaurants.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Bright Family Dental will provide:

• Dental cleanings and examinations
• Dental implants
• Porcelain veneers
• Crowns and bridges
• Dentures and partials
• Tooth extraction
• Teeth whitening
• Emergency dental care

Customer Focus

Bright Family Dental will target all households within a 5-mile radius. This will include families with children, teenagers, and young adults, seniors, and individuals who are insured and uninsured.

Management Team

Bright Family Dental will be owned and operated by Dr. Ingrid Williams. She will recruit a team of highly qualified and trained dental assistants and hygienists. She will also hire a receptionist to answer phone calls and administer scheduling and rescheduling of patients. The clinic will also employ a full-time financial coordinator to handle all billing, insurance processing, and bill payments.

Success Factors

Bright Family Dental will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Clean, modern, and welcoming dental office with the latest dental technology
• Comprehensive menu of services that covers most dental procedures
• Is willing to take uninsured patients and offer flexible payment plans
• Bright Family Dental offers the best dental pricing in the area

Financial Highlights

Bright Family Dental is seeking $150,000 in debt financing to launch its dental business. The funding will be dedicated towards securing the dental clinic, purchasing dental equipment and supplies, and purchasing the office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the opening of the new dental clinic. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Dental office space build-out: $20,000
• Dental equipment and supplies: $50,000
• Office equipment and supplies: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $50,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Bright Family Dental.

Company Overview

Who is bright family dental.

Bright Family Dental is a startup dental clinic located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The clinic is founded by Dr. Ingrid Williams, a certified dentist who received her dental certification in 2004. Dr. Williams has worked with a team of dentists at another local family local dentistry for the past 18 years where she served children, teenagers, adults, and seniors to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile.  Dr. Williams has become one of the most requested dentists in the area and has now decided to open a dental clinic of her own. Milwaukee is a large metropolitan area where there is a shortage of dental offices that can serve the growing population. Dr. Williams plans on recruiting a team of dental assistants and hygienists from the local college.

Bright Family Dental will provide a comprehensive array of dental services to all individuals that include cleanings, restoration, and cosmetic dental care. Bright Family Dental will be the dental clinic of choice in Milwaukee as it will implement a clean, friendly space with the latest dental technology. The dental clinic will be located in a mid to higher income area in town that is surrounded by other ancillary medical offices as well as retail stores and restaurants.

Bright Family Dental History

Bright Family Dental is the first startup business for Dr. Ingrid Williams. As an established dentist in the community, Dr. Williams has gained a reputation for providing excellent dental care to her patients of all ages. She realized that a particular segment of Milwaukee was lacking a sufficient comprehensive dental clinic and decided to pursue the opportunity of opening up her own dental practice.

Since incorporation, Bright Family Dental has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Bright Family Dental, LLC to transact business in the state of Wisconsin.
• Has located an office space that will be ideal for a dental practice and signed a Letter of Intent
• Began the branding process of developing the clinic name, logo, and website
• Began recruiting a staff of dental assistants and hygienists, receptionist, and financial coordinator

Bright Family Dental Services

The following will be the services Bright Family Dental will provide:

Industry Analysis

Over the past five years, the Dental industry experienced largely positive growth, as advances in dental technology and improved access to care for older adults resulted in greater gains. The industry benefited from rising disposable income and a relatively low unemployment rate, resulting in more consumers with healthcare coverage.

The average industry operator is expected to experience relatively high profit. The industry has historically experienced high margins, as a result, the industry is expected to continue expanding over the next five years, with more operators entering the field.

Industry revenue is projected to grow, increasing at an annualized rate of 2.3%. In particular, demand for industry services will come from older adults, who tend to need more serious and more frequent dental care as they age. In addition, the expansion of dental care through Medicaid will enable low-income adults to access the care they need. A relatively low unemployment rate will also support coverage and thus accessibility of industry services.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Bright Family Dental will target all households within the immediate area. This will include families with children, teenagers, and young adults, seniors, and individuals who have insurance. Bright Family Dental will also take uninsured patients and offer payment plans if they need help with out-of-pocket dental expenses.

The precise demographics for Milwaukee, Wisconsin are:

Customer Segmentation

Bright Family Dental  will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Families with children
• Young adults
• Uninsured adults

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Bright Family Dental will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Holmgren Family Dental

Holmgren Family Dental is a local dental practice that operates with the leadership of Dr. Andrew Holmgren. The practice consists of a team of  hygienists and assistants who offer exams and cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, implant restorations, mouth guards, dentures, sealants, and dental x-rays. His practice consists mainly of children and teenagers who are in need of braces. Dr. Holmgren provides the initial braces evaluation and exams and then refers his patients to the nearby orthodontist whose practice is next door. In addition, Dr. Holmgren also offers treatments for snore prevention, sinus lift augmentation, and bone grafting. Service costs vary depending on the needs of the patient and treatment plan. The office uses MedPay Credit to offer payment plans for procedures that aren’t covered by insurance.

The Dental Specialists of Milwaukee

The Dental Specialists of Milwaukee provides family dental care with a focus on children’s dentistry. The clinic is committed to reducing the need for future extensive dental work and providing preventative dental care for its patients. Their list of services include general dentistry, children’s dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics and braces, and aligners. With five locations throughout Milwaukee, the practice has ten dentists and a team of assistants and hygienists who are able to service the large patient base. As the largest dental group in Milwaukee, The Dental Specialists of Milwaukee take patients of all ages and incomes and offer flexible payment plans. They take most insurance as well as Medicaid. The clinic also offers a dental discount payment plan that has low monthly payments, no interest, and no credit check required.

Riley Dental

Riley Dental provides comprehensive oral health care while providing excellent customer service. The head dentist, Dr. Ana Riley, focuses on providing patient-focused comprehensive dentistry. As a general dentist, Dr. Riley has the experience and skill needed to offer the highest quality of care and services for her patients to maintain supreme oral health. Riley Dental offers dental cleanings and exams, crowns and bridges, dental fillings, emergency dentistry, dentures and partials, root canals, and extractions. The office also offers cosmetic treatments like veneers and teeth whitening. Dr. Riley also works extensively with geriatric patients to provide whatever is necessary for their unique needs. Riley Dental has invested in state-of-the-art technology and a digital x-ray machine. The clinic offers flexible payment plans for services that are not covered by insurance.

Competitive Advantage

Bright Family Dental will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly qualified team of dental professionals who also offer excellent patient care
• Comprehensive menu of services that provides excellent dental care for all of its patients
• Will take uninsured payment plans and offer a flexible payment plan for dental services
• Bright Family Dental offers the best pricing in town. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective compared to the competition.

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Bright Family Dental will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Clean, modern, and welcoming dental office that has implemented the latest dental technology
• Competitive pricing
• Does not over schedule patients. All patients will be seen at their scheduled time so that the family doesn’t spend hours of their time at the dentist office.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Bright Family Dental is as follows:

Bright Family Dental will be located in a highly populated area with heavy traffic flow. The location has prime visibility to new and existing patients.

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Dr. Williams has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional dental service and expertise to her patients. The majority of her patient base will likely follow her to her new practice.

Print Advertising

Bright Family Dental will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in the local newspapers or flyers and publications.

Website/SEO Marketing

Bright Family Dental will hire an outside advertising firm to develop the company’s website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Bright Family Dental is able to provide. The website will also list their contact information and location. The marketing director will also manage the company’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “Milwaukee family dentist” or “dentist near me”, Bright Family Dental will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Bright Family Dental will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Bright Family Dental.

Operation Functions:

• Ingrid Williams will be the head Dentist and Operator of the dental clinic. She will employ the following:
• Keith Murray – Dental Hygienist
• Sarah Evans – Dental Assistant
• Brenda Marshall – Financial Coordinator who will process all insurance claims, billing, and accounts payable and receivable
• Rita Johnson – Receptionist who will handle all calls, files, and scheduling of patients

Milestones:

Bright Family Dental will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

8/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space

8/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the Bright Family Dental team

9/1/202X – Order office and dental practice equipment and supplies

15/15/202X – Begin marketing efforts

10/22/202X – Begin moving into Bright Family Dental office

11/1/202X – Bright Family Dental opens its office for business

Dr. Ingrid Williams is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Dental School and has been a practicing dentist at a local dental office for 18 years. During her tenure at the clinic, Dr. Williams performed a variety of dental services to patients of all ages.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Bright Family Dental are the fees for dental services performed at the office.

The cost drivers will be the cost of supplies necessary to maintain the dental services. Other expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Patients Per Month: 80
• Average Cost of Services: $2,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement.

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement

Dental Business Plan FAQs

What is a dental business plan.

A dental business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your dental business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your dental business plan using our Dental Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Dental Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of dental businesses, some examples include: General Dentist, Periodontist, Endodontist, and Pedodontist or Pediatric Dentist.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Dental Business Plan?

Dental businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Dental Business?

Starting a dental business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Dental Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed dental business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your dental business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your dental business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Dental Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your dental business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your dental business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Dental Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your dental business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your dental business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

Dental Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 2,000 dentists create business plans to start and grow their dental practices. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a dental business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Dental Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your dental business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Dentist Office

If you’re looking to start a dental practice or grow your existing dental business you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your dental business in order to improve your chances of success. Your dental business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Dental Practices

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a dental practice are credit cards, personal savings, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

Your business plan should include 10 sections as follows:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of dental practice you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a dental practice that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of dental offices.

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the dental industry. Discuss the type of dental business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of dental business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types:

• General Dentist : this type of dentist will stick mostly to restorative dentistry and hygiene care in their office. This includes, but is not limited to, initial and emergency exams, including oral cancer screenings, cleanings and periodic hygiene exams, gum treatments for gum disease, white fillings to repair decayed or broken teeth, porcelain crowns, bridges and veneers, implant porcelain crowns and teeth whitening.
• Periodontist : this type of dentist focuses on problems that patients have with their gums, bone and tissues which support the teeth.
• Endodontist : this type of dentist is also known as a root canal specialist.
• Orthodontist : this type of dentist does braces on kids and adults to straighten their teeth, as well as dentofacial orthopedics.
• Pedodontist or Pediatric Dentist : this type of dentist specializes in treating children.

In addition to explaining the type of dental business you operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include sales goals you’ve reached, new clinic openings, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the dental industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the dental industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating. 

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends. For example, if there was a trend towards cosmetic dentistry, it would be helpful to ensure your plan calls for plenty of cosmetic procedure options.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your dental business plan:

• How big is the dental industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your dental practice. You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your dental business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: adults, children, teens, elderly, etc.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of dental business you operate. Clearly adults would want a different atmosphere and product options, and would respond to different marketing promotions than teens.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most dental practices primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your Dental Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other dental businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes federal agencies who provide direct services to military personnel or disadvantaged populations, and nonprofit dental providers. You need to mention such competition to show you understand that not everyone who seeks dental services will choose a private dental practice.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other dentists with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be dental practices located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of patients do they serve?
• What products do they offer?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide superior dental services?
• Will you provide dental services that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you make it easier or faster for customers to make an appointment?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a dental practice plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : in the product section you should reiterate the type of dental practice that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to general dentistry, will you offer cosmetic procedures?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your dental practice. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your practice located in a medical office building, in a commercial area, etc. Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers. 

Promotions : the final part of your dental business marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local bloggers and websites 
• Social media advertising
• Local radio advertising
• Banner ads at local venues

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your dental business such as serving patients, procuring supplies, keeping the office clean, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 1,000th patient, or when you hope to reach $X in sales. It could also be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or launch a new location.

Management Team

To demonstrate your dental practice’s ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company. 

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in the dental business. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in dental practices and/or successfully running small businesses.

Financial Plan

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you serve 20 patients per day or 50? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Example 5 Year Annual Income Statement

Balance Sheets : While balance sheets include much information, to simplify them to the key items you need to know about, balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. For instance, if you spend $100,000 on building out your dental office, that will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $100.000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Example 5 Year Annual Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt. 

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a dental business:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment like radiographs, dental chairs, dental instruments, computers, software, etc.
• Cost of maintaining an adequate amount of supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Example 5 Year Annual Cash Flow Statement

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office design blueprint or location lease.

Dental Business Plan Summary

Putting together a business plan for your dental practice is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the dental business, your competition and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful dental practice.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Dental business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how Growthink’s business plan consulting services can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

How to Create a Business Plan for Your Dental Practice

Creating an effective business plan is essential for any business’s success—including dental practices. Business plans provide detailed information that helps businesses forge a path towards long-term growth and success. Such information may regard market analysis, marketing, cash flow projection, competitive analysis, and other relevant business information. By determining such information and crafting a plan, businesses can focus on the actionable steps necessary to turn their goals into a reality and achieve their short- and long-term objectives. As such, business plans are an invaluable strategic tool that all businesses should take the time to carefully craft. To learn how to create a business plan for your dental practice, continue reading.

Executive summary

The executive summary is an essential aspect of any business plan. It is a short section that summarizes the entirety of your business plan in a way that allows readers to quickly become acquainted with the key points and its main purpose. Typically, your executive summary should not exceed two pages.

This section is especially important when it comes to approaching lenders. It should entice the potential lender to help you receive the funding you need to get your practice up and running. Therefore, your executive summary should be written in a way that is persuasive and compelling. Let the lender know how you intend to make your business a success and express the vision of your practice.

While the executive summary will be included as the first section of your business plan, it should be the last area that you write. Because the executive summary is a compilation of all other areas of your business plan, you must have already flushed out such details before writing it.

Description of products and services

This section should provide information regarding the products and services that your dental practice offers. If you are acquiring an existing practice, make sure to detail any major changes that will be made to the products and services that were being offered by the previous practice owner. For example, if you are planning on offering additional services that the current owner is not offering, mention them here.

When creating a business plan for your dental practice, you should also include a section that details how it will be managed. In this section, detail information about the type of business structure your practice will have. For example, you should determine if your practice will be structured as a partnership, corporation, or sole proprietorship.

This section should also include a list of the management personnel and professional advisers that will comprise your team, such as financial partners, insurance agents, real estate advisors, attorneys, and business associates. In addition to compiling a list of key management professionals, you should provide further information on their job responsibilities. Such information will help prove to business lenders that you have a plan for how your office will function and that you have the necessary support system to be successful.

Competitive analysis and marketing strategy

In this section, you should include data on what your competition is doing regarding their online presence, digital content, SEO rankings, and other relevant data. Upon detailing the state of your competitor’s marketing efforts, you should then detail your own marketing plan.

Here, you should first provide an overview of your intended market and your target patient. Include information on their income level, age, and lifestyle. If you target patient is similar to that of a competing dental practice in the area, clearly state how you intend to set your practice apart from your competition and maintain a consistent customer base.

In addition, you should also detail a content map and provide information regarding your website design. If your practice will be taking a different approach from other competitors, note it in your strategy and clearly provide a rationale as to why.

Financial plan

One of the most important sections in your business plan is the financial plan. This section will be of chief interest to potential lenders, as it will help them make an informed business decision regarding whether they can approve your loan proposal. As such, it should be carefully planned and written in great detail. Here, you should list a variety of relevant financial information, such as the following:

• Projected income of your practice for the initial 12- through 24-month period
• Cash flow forecast
• Personal financial statement
• Information on how startup funds will be allocated
• Total funds required by your practice for the following two years
• Offered collateral
• Historical financial analysis

Supporting financial documents

In addition to the above information, you should also provide the necessary supporting documents that potential dental lenders can review when making their decision. If you are undergoing a dental practice acquisition , many of the necessary documents will be provided by the selling dentist. However, you will have to prepare some of them. Such financial documents to provide in this section may include:

• Present business financial statements
• Recent copy of your credit report
• Copy of current aging schedule
• Three years of historical financial statements, individual income tax returns, and business income tax returns
• Current personal financial statement
• Prospective financials for five years such as forecasts, cash flows, and projections

Such financial documents should be 90-days old or less to be considered current under lending guidelines.

Financial influences

In the financial section of your business plan, you should also provide information that displays you have accounted for the impact of financial influences. Such influences may include business cycles, competition, the economy, seasonal variations, and other events that may impact your practice’s finances. All other information included in your financial plan should account for such influences.

The operations section will likely be the last and longest section of your business plan. Here, you will get into the nitty-gritty details the day-to-day operations that occur at your practice. You should provide information regarding the following information to provide lenders with a clear picture of how your practice will function:

• Office hours
• Days of operation
• Necessary equipment and supplies
• Major suppliers you plan to source equipment from
• Equipment-maintenance schedules
• Ideal patient flow
• Dental insurances you do and do not accept

Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions is the leader in dental practice sales and transitions. Whether you are purchasing or selling a practice, we can help you through every step of the process. Thanks to our extensive marketing resources, national network of dental transition consultants, and superior hands-on client services, your dental practice transition is sure to be as advantageous as possible. To get started on the transition process, schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation with Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions today.

How to Successfully Start a Dental Practice

Lisa Furgison

10 min. read

Updated March 18, 2024

Free Download:  Sample Dental Practice Business Plan Templates

If your future career involves dentistry, you’re in luck—there are a growing number of opportunities for starting a dental practice.

While routine services like cleanings and filling cavities are always in demand, new research shows a growing number of people are interested in cosmetic dentistry, such as whitening services and implants.

As demand grows, so does the annual salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,  a dentist makes an average of $149,310 a year. The industry is expected to grow 16 percent between 2012 and 2022.

Of course, it takes some significant schooling and a license to practice dentistry, but if you have those two items crossed off your list, starting a dental practice is a real possibility.

For those thinking about this career path, we’ve put together a guide to help you plan, start, and grow your practice. So, if you’re wondering how to open a dental practice, read on.

To get the most important and relevant information, we asked two dental practice owners to help us create this guide.

Dr. Len Tau, owner of the  Pennsylvania Center for Dental Excellence,  and Dr. Frank DiCicco, owner of Manhattan-based Central Park South Dentistry,  were willing to share some of the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

• Starting a dental practice: Planning your business

To open your own dental practice, you need to do some planning. Here are the most crucial aspects of the planning stage:

Write a business plan

As with any business, you need a solid business plan, DiCicco says.

Every owner envisions opening a successful dental practice, but you need an actionable plan to get you there. That’s where a business plan comes in. A business plan describes your business, sets goals, defines your customer base, and addresses finances.

If you need a little help creating a business plan, we have some great resources. Here’s a short list:

• How to Write a Business Plan:  A step-by-step article that walks you through writing a plan.
• Free Business Plan Samples:  A few examples to give you some ideas.

Brought to you by

Create a professional business plan

Using ai and step-by-step instructions.

Secure funding

Validate ideas

Build a strategy

Create a financial plan

As you create a business plan, you’ll start to put figures together, but Tau says it’s vital to understand your finances before you open your practice.

In particular, he suggests knowing what your overhead will be. Your payroll will be your most expensive line item, so don’t bring on too many people at the beginning. Additionally, start with basic services for phone and internet to keep costs low.

Find the right insurance

Every business needs liability insurance, but the needs of a dental practice are unique. Before you start looking for places to set up shop, talk with an insurance agent about the kind of policies that you’ll need. Make sure this price is factored into your financial plan.

[see-also] Understanding Business Insurance [/see-also]

Pick the right location

Take some time to look around at a variety of office locations.

Location is key for dentists, DiCicco says. You want something that’s centrally located, visible, and in an area that your target market spends time in.

Of course, price will play a role in the space you pick, but make sure the spot is right for your practice. It’s better to wait for the right location to come around than it is to open your business sooner in a more remote location.

[see-also] How to Choose a Business Location [/see-also]

Talk with someone in the field

Ask other successful dentists if you can pick their brain—it’s one of the best ways to get tips on how to open a dental practice. Find someone who already runs a practice, and ask to come in and see how things work.

You’ll have the skills you need to open a dental practice, but there will be administrative tasks that you might not be familiar with that a current owner can walk you through. For instance, DiCicco says he had no idea how to manage expenses when he first started a practice.

“Everything added up to twice the cost that I expected,” he recalls.

To avoid these pitfalls, find a mentor who can guide you through these issues as they arise.

• Starting a dental practice: Marketing your business

Be a good dentist first, but a solid marketer second, Tau says.

You can have the best dental skills in the world, but if no one knows that you’re open for business, you won’t ever get the chance to show your skills—and you might not have success when it comes to opening a dental practice.

Before you open your doors, have a marketing plan in place. Figure out who your clients are and how you’ll attract them to your practice. For the first three years, you’ll need to devote five to seven percent of your collections to marketing.

“It’s not just a drill, fill, and bill business,” Tau says. “Reoccurring patients can only provide so much revenue. New patients are the lifeblood of your practice.”

Here are few marketing options to keep new customers coming in:

Create a user-friendly website

For starters, you need a website that’s appealing, easy to navigate, and offers vital customer information like the business phone number and office hours.

A surprising number of people will drive by your office and then go home and Google your business to see what it’s all about.

Use tools like Google My Business

Google is where it’s at, DiCiccio says, and his business uses as many Google tools as possible.

One of the newest tools you can take advantage of is Google My Business, a free tool that business owners can use to improve their online visibility.

Through the site, you input important information like your office hours, location, and contact information. You can collect and use customer reviews here, too.

Establish a social media presence

To keep your customers engaged when they’re not in your chair, take advantage of social media.  Tau makes use of six social media sites, all of which you can access via his website.

While Tau uses a variety of social media platforms, it is important to assess how much time you want to spend on these sites. Social media can eat up your time, so if you only have time to post and update one site it’s okay—just pick the platform that your target audience uses.

Take advantage of word of mouth

While there are a lot of digital options to promote your business, old-fashioned word of mouth still plays a big role in the dentistry world.

If your customers have an enjoyable experience, they’re more likely to recommend you to others. You might consider giving your regular customers a discount for referring a friend or family member.

Find time to network

You practice will run on referrals, DiCicco says. If you want referrals, you need to be active in the community. Join business groups, volunteer in the area, and make sure you’re getting your name out there.

• Starting a dental practice: Growing your business

Once your business is established, you’ll shift gears toward growth.

Here are a few tips to make sure your business heads in the right direction:

Hire amazing help

You might not bring on staff immediately, but one of the first staff members you’ll hire will probably be an office assistant or a receptionist.

You’ll want help answering phones, scheduling appointments, and doing other administrative tasks. When you’re ready to hire for this position, make sure you look for someone with impeccable personal skills, Tau suggests.

This is often the first person a customer comes in contact with, so you want him or her to not only make a great first impression, but also guide the patient through the process in a helpful way.

Specialize in an area of dentistry

What is it you like to do as a dentist? You need to answer that question to help refine your skills and clientele.

When you first start, you might try to be the jack-of-all-trades. After all, you want to pay the bills. However, having a focused skill set can improve the longevity of your practice.

“Master the techniques that you enjoy doing and focus on those techniques,” Tau says. “This may mean that you refer some of your clients elsewhere, but that’s okay when you’re growing your business.”

Once you are established in the community, other dentists will refer clients to your practice too.

Listen to your customers

Customer comfort and satisfaction should be at the top of your priority list.

Make sure you cultivate a good relationship with your clients. Take an interest in their lives before you get to work. If a customer is a bit scared, do what you can to make them comfortable. If a customer has feedback, whether it’s good or bad, take it into consideration.

When opening a dental practice, the bottom line is that you want to create a welcoming environment from start to finish, DiCicco says.

Take continuing education classes

You can’t stick with the skills that you learned during your residency; you have to constantly update your skills if you want your practice to grow, Tau says.

Make it a priority to take a certain number of classes each year, attend conferences, and cultivate a group of fellow dentists that you can interact with.

Refine your leadership skills

As you get comfortable with your new practice, you’ll start to bring on employees.

Growth means more responsibilities, including managing people. Just as you continue to work on your technical skills, you need to work on your leadership skills too. Your employees will follow your lead. Your attitude and decision-making process will dictate your company culture.

As you’re selecting classes to continue your education, you should also look into classes or conferences that can bolster your leadership qualities.

Review your business plan

It’s a good idea to review your business plan and see how you’re doing on the goals or milestones that you listed.

If you haven’t hit a certain goal, it’s time to renew your efforts to make it happen. If you’ve scratched a few milestones off of the list, now is a good time to look ahead and create goals for the next stage of your practice.

Make sure each goal is specific and measurable. Giving yourself a generic goal of “growing your business” isn’t enough. Instead, your goal could be to grow your customer base by 10 percent.

Plan for retirement

When you’re initially just focused on opening a dental practice, it can be tough to think about retirement. But, once you’re in the growth phase, you’ll need to plan for the next stage of your life.

“I live for today, but plan for tomorrow,” DiCicco says, who works with a financial adviser to invest in his retirement. He suggests that every owner does the same.

While it may seem as though retirement is far off, if you want to put away a comfortable amount of money, you’ll want to start investing sooner rather than later.

It will take some time to get your practice established in your area, but if you keep your customers happy and work to get referrals, you’ll have a good foundation to build on for years to come.

As the owner, you have a lot of responsibilities, but you also get a lot of perks, too. You work for yourself, set your own schedule, and create lasting relationships with your customers.

In time, you’ll become a successful and trusted member of the business community.

Lisa Furgison is a multimedia journalist with a passion for writing. She holds a graduate degree in mass communications and spent eight years as a television reporter before moving into the freelance world, where she focuses mainly on content creation and social media strategies. Furgison has crisscrossed the U.S. as a reporter, but now calls Key West, Florida home. When she's not conducting interviews or typing away on her laptop, she loves to travel.

Table of Contents

Related Articles

15 Min. Read

How to Start an Online Business in 5 Steps

8 Min. Read

How to Start a Small Web Design Firm

6 Min. Read

Before You Buy a Hotel Business, Answer These 4 Questions

4 Min. Read

10 Tips on How to Start a Consulting Business

The LivePlan Newsletter

Become a smarter, more strategic entrepreneur.

Your first monthly newsetter will be delivered soon..

Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy .

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

• Free Samples
• Best DSOs to Work For
• Science + Tech
• Macroeconomics
• Solutions Lab
• Rising Stars

How to write a business plan

by Allison Farey

What’s the key to building a successful practice? I’m often asked that question when speaking to various dental professionals. While successful practitioners share many characteristics, they all have one thing in common: a good business plan.

In contrast, I have seen talented, hard-working practitioners struggle and even fail due to not having a good business plan. Others make a living but feel unfulfilled, never quite achieving their original goals. Many shared the mistaken belief that good clinical skills alone would be sufficient to ensure their success.

While your practice vision paints a picture of the kind of practice you want, your business plan offers a road map to get there. Having a vision is important, but without a solid plan to get there, it’s just a dream. Most business experts agree that people who succeed have one thing in common — they write down their goals and make a plan for how they will achieve them. A business plan is goal-setting on steroids!

Your business plan is a management tool to help you track, monitor, and evaluate your progress. By using it to establish timelines and milestones, you can gauge your progress against your original projections for actual accomplishments. It becomes a living document that you will modify as you gain knowledge and experience.

Believe it or not, your business plan is a marketing document! When you begin approaching lenders to finance your first practice, you’ll need to convince them that you’re a good risk. That means demonstrating that you understand that a dental practice must be run like any other business. A strong, well thought-out business plan says that loud and clear.

Wait a minute, you may say. I’m a doctor, not a business person. I got into this profession because I like being a dentist, not crunching numbers or managing and influencing people. That’s understandable. But realize that a little business savvy and planning go a long way toward supporting your clinical goals. So, let’s start by breaking the process down into steps. Although there is no official formula, most good business plans include three sections: an executive summary, a narrative, and the financials. Add to that any appendices that support the narrative, such as your curriculum vitae, organizational charts, or timelines. Now, let’s get started!

The executive summary

When you’re approaching lenders, the summary is the most important part of your business plan. In less than two pages, this plan must describe the services and products your practice will sell, how much money you need, and a repayment plan. This is where you need to “hook” the potential lender, just as a novelist must hook the reader with the first few pages. Make it persuasive, explaining why you and your team are uniquely positioned to make your business a success. This is a great place to include your practice vision, which we discussed last month.

Although the executive summary is the first thing a potential lender will read, it should be the last thing you write. That’s because you need the material you gathered for the narrative as back-up for the summary.

The narrative

This is the main body of the plan and follows the executive summary. To make it more manageable, break it down into these sections:

Business Overview — Begin with an overview of your practice for at least one year into the future. Describe its legal structure, as well as the services and products you’ll provide. Include staffing and practice goals. Also include an exit strategy — how will you maintain your practice in the event of disability or any other serious life change? Describe your break-even point, which is the production level that lets you meet monthly business overhead, loan payments, and your salary.

Include a description of the overall financial position and performance of your business sector and the role of governmental regulations such as OSHA. Next, describe the size and competitive nature of the general or specific type of dentistry you are going to offer. What, if any, are the barriers to entry and growth? Are there any economic swings that might affect the sector you’re targeting? If so, explain. For example, if you’re planning a high-end cosmetic dentistry practice, how will you maintain cash flow during a weak economy?

Location is an important criterion for your success. Discuss it in terms of client draw, access, zoning, cost, parking, competition, and even signage. Will your needs for space change in the next five years? Finally, list equipment you’ll need now and in the future as your practice expands.

Marketing Analysis and Plan — In the overview, you should have described your services. In this section, describe the kind of patients you hope to attract, including income levels, education, and lifestyles. Also, describe your competition in this market, and how you will differentiate yourself. For instance, if you’re starting a family practice in an area already served successfully by a similar practice, what will draw patients to you rather than the competition?

Next, analyze your marketplace. What are the demographics of your selected area today and in the future? Buying a demographic study (or market analysis of your area) can help you verify there is a clear need for an additional dental practice in a particular community. Your study should include statistics about the ratio of the population to the number of dentists, whether it is a growing area, the amount the community spends on health care, and the average household income. Keep in mind that, in general, urban areas tend to be more saturated with dental practices.

You’ll also need to define your marketing strategy to show the lender that you have a plan for attracting and retaining patients. Include internal marketing strategies (which rely on encouraging existing patients to make referrals) and external marketing (which aims to market directly to potential patients). List everything you plan to use: newsletters, open houses, brochures and posters, referral incentives, community public relations — whatever tools support your strategies.

Operations — The final section of your narrative should include a section on the “nuts and bolts” of your practice. List your practice hours and days of operation. Describe necessary equipment and supplies and identify major suppliers, including equipment-maintenance schedules.

Management and Organization — Include details about your planned operations. Will you structure your practice as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation? If you’re going into business with others, attach a curriculum vitae for each principal owner or associate, along with a brief personal history. List your professional business resources, such as attorneys, accountants, and technology and management experts who form your practice team.

Staffing — List job titles for staff, and forecast personnel needs at the start and six, 12, and 24 months into the future. Discuss compensation strategies, including benefits. How will you handle performance evaluations, hiring, and firing?

This final section should include a projected income and cash flow forecast and a personal finance statement, along with supporting documents. Also describe the effects of seasonal variations, the business cycle, and other events that can be forecasted. Explain significant assumptions that you make about the business, the competition, the economy, and other financial and business influences. It is essential that your financial statement be consistent with the narrative.

Include a section describing the total funds needed by your practice over the next two years, detailing how borrowed funds will be used. List collateral that you are offering, including any personal guarantors. Provide a historical financial analysis that your financial partner has prepared or projections for the initial 12- through 24-month period.

The appendices section should include any charts and graphs that represent data or items mentioned in the narrative or financial sections, such as your action plans, timelines for opening and growing your practice, fee schedules, and an organization chart. Of course, if your plan is going to potential lenders, attach your curriculum vitae. The lender will want to know about your education, experience, and any other interests, affiliations, or awards that demonstrate your character and likelihood of success.

Does it sound like a lot? It is! Your lender may not require this level of detail in your business plan, especially if you’re starting with a need for little capital (less than $300,000). But the financial well-being of your first practice depends on it. Remember, your business plan is a document that you will use and revise continuously over the years as your business grows, so don’t file it away once you’ve secured financing.

Next month, we will discuss how to present your business plan to a lender and successfully secure financing for your first practice.

Allison Farey, president of Matsco, has more than 25 years of experience in the equipment leasing and financial services industry. For more information about Matsco’s practice financing and Practice SuccessTM Program, call (800) 326-0376 or visit www.matsco.com.

Sponsored Recommendations

Resolve to Revitalize your Dental Practice Operations

5 Reasons Why Dentists Should Consider a Dental Savings Plan Before Dropping Insurance Plans

Peer Perspective: Talking AI with Dee for Dentist

Influence Your Boss: 4 Tips for Dental Office Managers

What happens if I don’t make it into a DSO?

Primed and inspired: The secret to Dr. Melissa Seibert's success

Crafting Your Best Team: Psychological Insights for Staffing Success

Is your new-patient journey choreographed or improvised?

Global dental fame: Massive influence in 2 years or less

How partnering with your local gym can help you attract new dental patients

The Power of Same-Day Chairside Restorative Dentistry

Introducing the DWX-42W Plus…The Future of Same-Day Dentistry

Clinical Study: OraCare Reduced Probing Depths 4450% Better than Brushing Alone

Call us: (+44)20 7100 8788

← Back to learning centre

Creating a Business Plan for a Dental Practice

Last updated on 2/28/2024 , by Arun Mehra

Enter your email address for:

Newsletters • Events • Learning Centre Posts • Blog Posts

Share this article:

“The value of a business plan simply cannot be overstated. Putting ideas and concepts down on paper is invaluable and the act of researching and compiling data about your competitors and the market will prove to be very useful in the years to come.” Stefan Topfer, The Importance of Business Planning (2)

Why creating a business plan is essential when buying a dental practice

I started this article with a quote that I wholeheartedly agree with. A well put together business plan is at the centre of every successful business. It’s also an essential factor in successfully obtaining acquisition finance. I have had this conversation with many clients over the years. If they cannot show how they are going to be a success, why should the bank have faith in them?

The fact is that a business plan helps anyone who is starting or buying a dental practice to clearly see their current position and the way ahead. It also means that financial professionals can see the reliability and promise of a dental business, before they make a lending decision.

What to include in a dental practice business plan

A well-written business plan needs to be comprehensive and succinct. It should cover all aspects of the business, without going into minute detail. Items to be covered include:

The aims and objectives of the business.

Make sure that aims are well-considered and transparent. It’s also important to make sure that these aims reflect the personal CV of the practice owner.

The services that are available at the practice.

Make sure that the resources, facilities, products and qualifications are in place for all of the services that are included.

Information about the market and competitors.

Research should be completed so that details of the current market, and the level of competition, can be provided. Consider the threats the business may face and the opportunities it can explore. I have found that a  SWOT analysis  is often useful at times like this. It helps with full exploration of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that can be summarised in the business plan.

The cost of purchasing and running the business.

This is a good indication that all financial implications have been considered. Remember to recognise the risks of hidden costs and indicate that there is a mitigation plan in place. This information helps banks to recognise the reliability of the business.

How the practice is going to be run.

Proposed hours of operation should be included. This information needs to be backed up by details of the amount of staff required and the working hours that will be needed.

Financial forecasts.

Anyone starting or buying a dental practice needs to have informed knowledge of how the financial situation looks for the coming months, and years. Banks also need to see that they are lending to a business that is going to be profitable. Be realistic with the figures that are included and back them up with research and evidence where possible.

Contact us to find out more

Related articles.

How to Start a Dental Practice in 13 Steps

The 3 Stages of the Life of a Dental Practice

Should I Start or Buy a Dental Practice?

How to format a business plan for a dental practice

Any good business plan should have three distinct sections; the executive summary, the narrative and the financials. It should also include appendices with relevant charts and graphs. It’s vital to understand the importance of each section.

The Executive Summary.

This is the most important part of a business plan when looking for acquisition finance. Lenders like to know important aspects about a dental practice business, before they provide any funding. Details of what services are going to be provided, how much funding is required and how it will be repaid should be included in this section.

It’s important to make the executive summary persuasive. Include details of the vision for the future and why the business is such a low risk when it comes to lending. What will make the business succeed?

The Narrative.

The main section of a business plan should be broken down into defined parts, for ease of reading and understanding. These parts should include.

• A business overview including aspects such as structure, staffing, loan repayments and risk management.
• Location of the business. Is this likely to change as the dental practice succeeds and grows. What are the strengths of the location?
• Marketing and analytics. What demographic will marketing be aimed at, what form will it take and what will the investment be. Make sure that the marketing strategy for the practice is defined.
• Operating the business. What will happen on a daily basis? What sort of equipment will be used at the business and what supplies will be needed? All aspects of the day to day running of the business should be included here. This includes how the business will be managed and what the staffing requirements will be.

The Financials.

In the final section of a business plan, the finances of the dental practice should be addressed. This should include projected income and cash flow figures, together with any assumptions on which these figures have been based. Provide a comprehensive vision of the financial standing and future of the practice.

Appendices.

This part of the business plan is where supporting evidence and background information is provided. This can include charts, graphs, action plans and schedules.

Putting a business plan together may sound like hard work, but it’s an essential aspect of buying or starting a dental practice. Once the plan has been completed, it’s time to consider funding options for the purchase.

Our Expert Opinion

“No plan, no business. A plan is so important to help you navigate the pitfalls of starting and building a business. Get the basics down on paper and then evolve the plan slowly with ideas and goals.”

Arun Mehra FCA

You can book a free consultation with Arun here.

Starting a Dental Practice: Get Started

We’ve been helping the UK’s dentists start their own practices for nearly 20 years and we know exactly what it takes to make your practice a success!

Our Dental Practice Start-up Programme is a hands-on consultancy service designed to take you through your whole journey to becoming a dental practice owner. Book a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our team at a time that suits you (including evenings). We’ll call you back and have a chat about how we can help start your dream practice.

Contact us today for all the advice, support and expertise you’ll ever need to start a dental practice.

Learn More: Starting a Dental Practice

For more information please check out the articles and webinars in the  start a dental practice  section of our Learning Centre, like our guide on  How to Start a Dental Practice in 13 Steps.

Make sure you never miss any of our articles, webinars, videos or events by following us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube and Instagram .

Arun is the founder of the Samera Group, starting the business with just one client sitting at his father’s dining table. Twenty years on, Team Samera now service hundreds of dental clients, run events and help clients start, buy, grow, finance and sell their practices.

Save Money Now

Join our dental buying group

Need Finance?

Fund Your Healthcare Business

Manage Your Money

Accounts and Tax Strategy

Samera Global

Offshoring + Outsourcing

10+ SAMPLE Dental Clinic Business Plan in PDF | MS Word

Dental clinic business plan | ms word, 10+ sample dental clinic business plan, what is a dental clinic business plan, benefits of owning a dental clinic, tips to improve the organization of your dental practice, how to operate a profitable dental practice, what is the profit of dental clinic, is dental business profitable, can a dentist be an entrepreneur.

Dental Clinic Expansion Business Plan

Medical Dental Clinic Business Plan

Sample Dental Clinic Business Plan

Dental Hygiene Clinic Business Plan

Dental Clinic Business Plan

Dental Practitioner Clinic Business Plan

Simple Dental Clinic Business Plan

Dental Clinic Analysis Business Plan

Dental Clinic Business Plan Example

Dental Clinic Business Strategic Plan

Dental Clinic Business Continuity Plan

1. utilize bins, cassettes, and other containers for instruments., 2. label equipment and materials, 3. develop and utilize process setup guidelines, 4. prepare operatory turnover items, 5. keep and identify handpieces and motors., 1. engage your staff members, 2. embrace office culture, 3. enhance your dental staff, 4. create a unique dental practice, 5. use working hours to your advantage., 6. adopt scheduling applications that are easy to use, 7. automatize your invoicing office, share this post on your network, you may also like these articles.

In this comprehensive guide, we explore the essentials of creating an effective Floor Plan. Whether you are designing a new home, renovating an existing space, or planning an office…

Nursing Care Plan

In this comprehensive guide, we explore the essentials of creating an effective Nursing Care Plan. Whether you are a nursing student, a new graduate, or an experienced nurse, this…

browse by categories

• Questionnaire
• Description
• Reconciliation
• Certificate
• Spreadsheet

Information

• privacy policy
• Terms & Conditions

How to Write Dental Practice Business Plan? Guide & Template

In the realm of dental entrepreneurship, success is often dictated by meticulous planning and strategic execution. One pivotal tool in this journey is the dental practice business plan. This comprehensive blueprint serves as a roadmap, guiding practitioners through the intricacies of launching and managing a thriving dental practice. From securing funding to outlining operational strategies, a well-crafted business plan can be the differentiating factor between mere aspiration and tangible achievement in the dental industry.

What is a Dental Practice Business Plan?

A dental practice business plan is a detailed document that outlines the goals, objectives, strategies, and financial projections of a dental clinic or practice. It serves as a roadmap, providing a structured framework for organizing ideas, defining target markets, understanding competition, and delineating operational procedures. Essentially, it encapsulates the entire vision of the dental practice and serves as a reference point for decision-making and progress evaluation.

Why do you need a business plan for a Dental Practice Business?

Clarity of Vision: A business plan helps crystallize the vision for the dental practice, enabling practitioners to articulate their goals and objectives clearly.

Strategic Direction: By conducting market research and competitor analysis, a business plan helps in identifying opportunities and formulating strategies to capitalize on them.

Risk Mitigation: Through financial projections and risk assessments, a business plan enables practitioners to anticipate challenges and devise contingency plans to mitigate potential risks.

Funding Acquisition: Investors and lenders often require a comprehensive business plan as a prerequisite for funding. A well-prepared plan increases the credibility of the dental practice and enhances its chances of securing financial support.

Source of Funding for Dental Practice Business

Securing funding is a crucial step in establishing a dental practice. Here are some potential sources of funding:

Traditional Banks Loans and lines of credit tailored for small businesses. Dental Lenders Financial institutions specializing in dental practice loans. Angel Investors Individual investors providing capital in exchange for equity or ownership stake. Venture Capital Investment firms providing funds to high-potential startups in exchange for equity. Personal Savings Self-funding through personal savings or assets.

How to Write a Dental Practice Business Plan?

Executive Summary: Concisely summarize the key elements of the business plan, including the practice’s mission, target market, competitive advantage, and financial projections.

Business Description: Provide an overview of the dental practice, including its legal structure, location, services offered, and unique selling proposition.

Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market research to identify target demographics, assess competitors, and analyze industry trends.

Marketing and Sales Strategy: Outline strategies for attracting and retaining patients, including branding, advertising, and patient referral programs.

Operational Plan: Define the day-to-day operations of the dental practice, including staffing requirements, office procedures, and patient flow management.

Financial Projections: Prepare detailed financial forecasts, including income statements, cash flow projections, and break-even analysis.

Risk Management: Identify potential risks and challenges facing the dental practice and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Appendices: Include supplementary materials such as resumes of key personnel, lease agreements, and any additional documentation relevant to the business plan.

Advantages of starting a Dental Practice Business

Professional Autonomy: Owning a dental practice allows practitioners to have full control over clinical decisions, patient care, and practice management.

Financial Potential: Successful dental practices can generate substantial revenue streams and provide practitioners with a lucrative income potential.

Personal Fulfillment: Building and growing a dental practice can be deeply rewarding, both professionally and personally, as practitioners positively impact the oral health and well-being of their patients.

Community Impact: Dental practices play a vital role in promoting oral health awareness and providing essential dental care services to the community.

In the competitive landscape of dental entrepreneurship, a well-crafted business plan serves as a compass, guiding practitioners towards success. By delineating goals, strategies, and financial projections, a dental practice business plan provides a roadmap for achieving sustainable growth and prosperity in the dynamic healthcare industry.

Dental Practice Business Plan FAQs

How do I write a business plan for a dental clinic?

A dental clinic business plan should outline services and operations, target market, competitive analysis, startup costs and funding needs, revenue projections, marketing plan, staffing needs, financial projections, and growth opportunities.

How profitable is a dental clinic?

Dental clinics can generate strong profit margins as high as 30%, due to demand for dental services, specialized equipment, and revenue from cosmetic and elective procedures.

How much does it cost to open dental practice?

The typical cost to open and equip a dental practice ranges from $300,000 to $500,000 including construction, dental equipment purchases, supplies, licensing fees, insurance, staff, and working capital.

What is the average revenue per dental practice?

The average annual gross revenue per dental practice is approximately $725,000, with multi-dentist clinics generating over $1 million, according to recent surveys.

What is the most profitable service for a dentist?

Specialties like orthodontics and prosthodontics top revenue per dentist charts while cosmetic treatments like veneers, teeth whitening, and Invisalign also expand profit potential.

What dental makes the most money?

Specialists in prosthodontics generate the highest average annual net income per dentist at over $285,000, providing high earnings potential.

Written by Ivan Smith

Hello, I'm Ivan Smith, a graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. Currently, I'm actively engaged in practicing business plan writing.

Text to speech

Need a business plan? Call now:

Talk to our experts:

• Business Plan for Investors
• Bank/SBA Business Plan
• Operational/Strategic Planning
• L1 Visa Business Plan
• E1 Treaty Trader Visa Business Plan
• E2 Treaty Investor Visa Business Plan
• EB1 Business Plan
• EB2 Visa Business Plan
• EB5 Business Plan
• Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan
• UK Start-Up Visa Business Plan
• UK Expansion Worker Visa Business Plan
• Manitoba MPNP Visa Business Plan
• Start-Up Visa Business Plan
• Nova Scotia NSNP Visa Business Plan
• British Columbia BC PNP Visa Business Plan
• Self-Employed Visa Business Plan
• OINP Entrepreneur Stream Business Plan
• LMIA Owner Operator Business Plan
• ICT Work Permit Business Plan
• LMIA Mobility Program – C11 Entrepreneur Business Plan
• USMCA (ex-NAFTA) Business Plan
• Franchise Business Planning 
• Landlord Business Plan 
• Nonprofit Start-Up Business Plan 
• USDA Business Plan
• Cannabis business plan 
• eCommerce business plan
• Online Boutique Business Plan
• Daycare business plan
• Mobile Application Business Plan
• Restaurant business plan
• Food Delivery Business Plan
• Real Estate Business Plan
• Business Continuity Plan
• Buy Side Due Diligence Services
• ICO whitepaper
• ICO consulting services
• Confidential Information Memorandum
• Private Placement Memorandum
• Feasibility study
• Fractional CFO
• How it works
• Business Plan Templates

Dentistry Business Plan Sample

Published May.04, 2018

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Jakub Babkins

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 2

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Table of Content

Dentistry business plan for your own dental practice

Do you want to start a dental office business? If you are a dentist and want to earn lots of money while also serving the society, you should definitely start this business. But before you consider how to start a dentistry business , you must prepare a comprehensive business plan for it. The business plan will help you in acquiring the license for your business from the state and will also help you take important decisions for the startup. In case you don’t know how to write a dentistry business plan, you can take help from this sample business plan of a dentistry business startup named ‘Spear’s Dental Clinic’.

Executive Summary

2.1 the dental business.

Spear’s Dental Clinic will be a licensed, registered and insured dental consultancy clinic which will provide all sorts of dental consultancy and treatment services to its customers. The business will be located at a 10 minutes’ drive from the center of Boston and the location is ideal to open dental office .

2.2 Management of Dental Office

Spear’s Dental Clinic is a sole proprietorship owned by Dr. John Spear, an experienced dentist from Boston. The company’s main management framework comprises of sales executives, dentists, and nurses.

2.3 Customers of Dental Office

Our customers include people from all age groups such as children, teens, adults and senior citizens but children and teens will form the bulk of our customers since they are most likely to have dental problems.

2.4 Target of the Dental Business

Our business targets to be achieved within next three years are as follows:

Dental Office Summary

3.1 company owner.

Spear’s Dental Clinic is a sole proprietorship owned by Dr. John Spear. Dr. Spear is a famous dentist who has been practicing in Boston for more than 6 years.

3.2 Why the Dental Business is being started

Dr. Spear decided for dentistry start up to make profits in this industry while also serving the community.

3.3 How the Dental Business will be started

Spear’s Dental Clinic will be started in a leased location in Boston which was previously used as a small restaurant. The facility requires a lot of work so that it can be converted into a dental office and the company has already hired William Sons Contractors for this job. In addition to the usual inventory, the procured equipment will include high- and low- speed drills, an ultrasonic scaler (for removing prophylaxis), curing and placing instrument, dental seats and lights, x-ray film, filling material and the front desk equipment. The financial experts have forecasted following costs for the startup:

The detailed startup requirements are given below:

Services for customers

An important part of any start up dentistry business plan  is the services it will provide to its customers because the planning of nearly all subsequent things depend on the provided services. Spear’s Dental Clinic will be a licensed, registered and insured dental consultancy clinic which will provide following services to its customers:

• Dental diagnostics services
• Dental examinations & consultations services
• Dental restorative & preventive services
• Dental treatments including gap removal, tooth whitening, tooth removal and implants

Patients can make a reservation with us by either visiting our clinic or through our official website.

Marketing Analysis of dental business

The most important component of an effective dentistry business plan  is its accurate marketing analysis and a good dental practice business plan can only be developed after this stage. If you are starting on a smaller scale, you can do marketing analysis yourself by taking help from this dentistry business plan template or other dentistry business plan examples available online. If you are starting on a larger scale, it is always best to seek the counsel of marketing experts for developing a good dentistry business plan . The success or failure of a business totally depends upon its marketing strategy for business plan which can only be developed on the basis of accurate marketing analysis.Therefore, it must be considered before you develop your dentistry  startup business plan . Dr. Spear acquired the services of marketing experts to carry out the marketing analysis for his dentistry business plan . He also went through various dentistry business plans  available online before developing his own dental clinic business plan .

5.1 Market Trends

For learning the market trends of the dental industry, you will have to carry out an in-depth research. You can also take help from this dentistry business plan sample . The dental industry is among those industries who have a high propensity for profit and a very low failure rate. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), dental clinics are the 3rd highest category of the startup businesses which are most likely to survive. Dentists are among the highest earning professionals in the United States and their average income lies in the United States’ highest 8 percent incomes. According to IBISWorld, the dentist industry contributes more than $134 billion in the revenue of the United States every year. As of March 2018, there are 187,437 registered dentist clinics in the United States which are responsible for employing around 1,000,000 people. The industry’s growth rate is estimated to be 2.6 percent. This increase is contributed to many factors, of which one is the increase in education and prosperity of the population. The second factor is the increasing trend of dental insurances, due to which, many people became able to afford the dental services. According to a recent report, around 40 percent of the population has private dental insurance. In short, dental industry has a lot of potential and a dental clinic can be immensely profitable provided that you provide quality services and plan as well as market your business successfully.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

Our target market is the residential community-based in Boston. As of 2016, there are more than 673,000 people in Boston which belong to varying backgrounds and most of them are financially stable. Out of the 252,700 households in the city, 20.4% contain children with age below 18 years, 25.5% contain married couples, 16.3% contain a female householder without a husband, and 54.0% are non-families. As per the population distribution, around 21.9% of the population is below 19 years of age, 14.3% are from 20-24, 33.2% are from 25-44, 20.4% are from 45-64, and 10.1% are more than 65 years of age. Analyzing the demographics is important since it gives you an idea of the market segmentation of your future customers. A successful and efficient marketing strategy can only be developed after we completely know our potential customers hence it must be duly incorporated in any dentistry business plan. Our business consultants have identified the following type of target audience which can become our future consumers:

The detailed marketing segmentation of our target audience is as follows:

5.2.1 Children & Teens:

Our first target group will be the children and teens aged below 19 years. This group is most likely to have dental problems like incorrect or misaligned jaw position, jaw joint disorder, under-bite, overbite, missing teeth, extra teeth, and crowded or crooked teeth. Moreover, due to their unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive intake of sweeteners, oral piercings for wearing jewelry, they are also frequently affected by other dental problems. That’s why this group will be the biggest contributor to our revenue.

Operational and Strategic Planning

5.2.2 adults:.

Our second target group comprises of adults aged above 19 years. This group contains people who are sensible and conscious of their dental health and, thus, seldom encounter a dental problem. That’s why they have the least contribution to our revenue.

5.2.3 Senior Citizens:

The third target group comprises of senior citizens. This group, due to its old age, is much likely to be affected by various dental problems like dental decay, gum disease, poor fitting dentures etc. and has, therefore, more contribution than the adults. The detailed market analysis of our potential customers is given in the following table:

5.3 Business Target

Our main business targets to be achieved as milestones over the course of next three years are as follows:

• To become the best dental service in Boston within next five years of launch by providing high-quality services
• To achieve the net profit margin of $10k per month by the end of the first year, $15k per month by the end of the second year, and $25k per month by the end of the third year
• To balance the initial cost of the startup with earned profits by the end of the second year
• To open another dental office in downtown by the end of the third year

5.4 Product Pricing

After considering the market demands and the competitive nature of this business, Dr. Spear has decided to price his services slightly less (10% less) as compared to that of his competitors. This pricing strategy has been carefully selected considering many factors, especially the competition provided by established dental clinics in the locality like Neo Dental Clinic. By setting our services in slightly lower range, we hope to target more customers during the initial period of our launch.

After you have identified the market demand, market trends, and the potential customers of the startup, you must now define an effective strategy for attracting those customers toward you.

Like marketing analysis, sales strategy is also an important component of a good dentistry business plan and it must be properly developed before thinking about how to open dental office .

High Quality Business Plan and Professional Support

It was amazing to work with OGS Capital for our business plan. They promptly responded our enquires and delivered document on time.The document was well organized high quality and content.We succeded with Alex and his team support. We thank you guys again for professional approach and easy communication.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

The dental industry is one of the most competitive industries since there are more than 187,000 registered dental clinics in the United States. Boston also houses hundreds of established dental clinics who are providing quality services, especially the Neo Dental Clinic which will be our main competitor in the locality. However, our economical services will be our biggest competitive advantage since our services will cost about 15% less than that of our competitors. Although the residential community in our vicinity is well-established, still, this factor will cause an increase in our revenue by specifically targeting those people who are not covered by any dental insurance. Our second competitive advantage will be our exceptional customer service which, we guarantee, will be the best in town.

6.2 Sales Strategy

After carrying out a detailed analysis, our experts came up with the following brilliant ideas to advertise and sell ourselves.

• We will ensure a strong web presence by using SEO/SEM tactics.
• We will advertise our dental clinic in health magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and social media.
• We will arrange seminars and informational sessions in all local schools and other institutions to increase dental awareness among students and other people. These efforts will also result in the promotion of our business.

6.3 Sales Monthly

6.4 Sales Yearly

6.5 Sales Forecast

Personnel plan

Personnel plan is also an important component of a good dentistry business plan  template so make sure to duly consider it before thinking about how to open a dental office . The personnel plan of our company is as follows.

7.1 Dental Office Staff

Dr. Spear will act as the General Manager of the company and will initially hire following people:

• 1 Accountant for maintaining financial and other records
• 2 Sales Executives responsible for marketing and discovering new ventures
• 3 Dentists for dental treatments and checkups
• 5 Nurses for assisting the Dentists and undertaking day-to-day tasks
• 1 Technical Assistant for managing the company’s official website and social media pages
• 2 Customer Representatives for interacting with customers
• 6 Cleaners for maintaining a clean and hygienic environment in the clinic

All the employees will be hired by following strict testing procedures and will also be trained before onboarding.

7.2 Average Salary of Employees

The following table shows the forecasted data about the salaries of the employees for the next three years:

Financial Plan

After you have prepared the dental office marketing plan and the personnel plan, it is time for you to prepare a detailed financial plan. The financial plan should craft a detailed map of all the expenses needed for the startup and how these expenses will be met by the earned profits. It is recommended that you hire a financial expert for guiding you through all financial aspects needed to open a dental office .

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 Brake-even Analysis

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.1 Profit Monthly

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

8.6 Business Ratios

Download Dental Office Business Plan Sample in pdf

OGS capital professional writers specialized also in themes such as senior center business plan , business plans for pharmacy , medical marijuana dispensary business plan , medical business plan , massage business plan , hospital business plan and many others.

OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

Bowling Alley Business Plan Sample

Nightclub Business Plan (2024): A Comprehensive Guide

Rabbit Farming Business Plan

Beverages Business Plan

Private Schools Business Plan

Business Plan for a Lounge

Any questions? Get in Touch!

We have been mentioned in the press:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Search the site: